Dana White thinks Amanda Nunes may have lost a bit of motivation as of late.
Nunes (21-5 MMA, 14-2 UFC) was dethroned by Julianna Pena when she was submitted in a shocking upset at UFC 269 in December 2021. “The Lioness” lost her bantamweight title but still holds the featherweight belt.
The loss to Peña marked Nunes’ first setback since a TKO loss to Cat Zingano in 2014. In that run, Nunes defeated UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko twice and scored finishes of ex-champs Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg. So with Nunes’ recent dominance and success, White thinks her drive isn’t where it once was.
“The question is, for Amanda – and this is what happens to all fighters – you know the big narrative we don’t pay anybody? Amanda’s rich,” White told ESPN. “Amanda is a multi-millionaire who is now at a completely different financial status. She has a baby now. Her life – she is not that hungry savage she was when she started to take this run at becoming a world champion. A lot of that factors in.”
On the contrary, White sees Peña (11-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) making the most of all the perks that come with being a champion, which led to her coaching Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Nunes. The pair will run things back in the main event of UFC 277 on July 30.
“And now Julianna’s at a place where she beat her, Julianna’s starting to see a lot of the things that come along with being the world champion now – financially, popularity as you get out in the world,” White said. “That belt is the key that opens a lot of doors. So I’m sure she wants to get to that Amanda Nunes level, financially and everything else. All that stuff factors into the fight, and those are all questions I can’t answer.”
With former dual-champ Nunes’ place in the UFC Hall of Fame a given, she doesn’t have too much left to prove. However, White sees her rivalry with Peña potentially reigniting her flame.
“I haven’t seen it, but I do know she does not like Julianna,” White said. “She thinks Julianna has a big mouth and all that other stuff. For her, that would have to be her motivation is to beat Julianna because she doesn’t like her – because for all the other reasons, Amanda doesn’t need to win the fight.”
Dana White: Amanda Nunes ‘is not that hungry savage she was’ when she started world-title run
